How to make glazed pear and feta salad

Salty feta offsets the sweetness of honey-glazed pears for a refreshingly different and healthy salad. Toasted pumpkin seeds add extra bite — as well as zinc and selenium — to boost the immune system.Like most fruits, pears are excellent for effective weight control. They are low in calories, yet have a good fullness factor, great for staving off hunger. Pears also have a low glycemic index (GI) rating, so they help to keep blood glucose steady. Here's a great recipe that adds the fresh flavour of pear to your next salad.

Preparation 10 minutes

Cooking 10 minutes

Serves 4

• 1/2 head of crunchy lettuce, such as romaine or iceberg
• 1 bunch arugula
• Juice of 2 limes and grated zest of 1 lime
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) honey
• 4 large firm, just-ripe pears
• 60 g (4 tbsp) pumpkin seeds
• 240 g (1 c) crumbled feta

1. Coarsely shred the lettuce and divide it among four large plates, together with the arugula. Stir together the lime juice, honey and 60 millilitres (four tablespoons) of water in a frying pan.

2. Peel, core and slice the pears, removing the stems. Add to the frying pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook, turning the pear slices, for three to five minutes, or until the liquid has evaporated and the slices are slightly golden. Remove the pan from the heat, add 30 millilitres (two tablespoons) of water and stir to glaze the pears.

3. Toast the pumpkin seeds by sprinkling them into a separate dry frying pan and cook over a medium heat for three to four minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent the seeds from burning.

4. Arrange the pears on top of the leafy salad. Divide the crumbled feta among the plates of salad leaves. Sprinkle the lime zest and toasted pumpkin seeds over the top, then serve.

Alternative ingredients

• A blue cheese, such as stilton, is a delicious alternative to feta here. Or try a gorgonzola dolce or cambozola for a creamy texture.
• Firm apples with a sweet-sharp flavour can be used instead of the pears for a crunchier salad. Use lemon zest with apples rather than lime.
• Pine nuts make a good substitute for pumpkin seeds.
• Peppery arugula is delicious with the lime and feta, but watercress also works well, as would the slightly bitter red leaves of radicchio.

• Peel the pears whole, quarter them lengthwise, and then you will be able to cut the core out easily. Cut each quarter lengthwise into neat slices. Have the juices ready in the pan, adding the pears as they are prepared so they don't discolour. Use a spatula and fork to turn the pears in the frying pan. The cooking time will depend on the type of pan. For instance, the juices may evaporate and begin to caramelize more quickly in a thin metal pan.
• Take care when adding water to a hot pan as it may spit.
• A zester is a useful kitchen tool for removing the zest from citrus fruit, such as lime, but if you don't have one, use a vegetable peeler.

Nutritional information: 327 calories • 17 g fat • 8 g saturated fat • 32 g carbohydrates • 13 g protein • 5 g fibre